Butterfly masquerade
by akai kinoko
Summary: collection of stories about different Naruto pairings. the story concepts may contain the different manifestations of pretensions and or butterfly symbolisms.3rd story:SasuxSakuxKaka. Sasuke feels Sakura no longer remembers
1. glass flight: KakaxSaku

**Author's notes: **

1)Don't read the first 2 stories in here… I am still revising them. Thank you.

2) The third story, "closing time", is the only one available for reading… please read and review. Thanks!

xX00Xx---------------------------------------------xX00Xx

**Glass Flight**

_**akai kinoko**_

He carried her away from the battlefield, away from the danger. Their mission was over, and both of them were not badly hurt. However, he felt the need to bring her to a place of quiet before heading back to Konoha. Her weariness made him overtly worried and prodded him to find a place where they can rest. And so he carried her, like a father cradles his little child, and looked for that site of momentary solace.

And he found the suitable spot, a tree in the middle of the clearing inside the forest, a few meters away from the bloodied and lifeless bodies of their enemy. It was a typical place to rest, nothing quite extraordinary, except:

As he began to approach the tree, a thousand butterflies flew out the tall grasses, spiraling upwards as though there had been an instant whirlwind of petals.

The swift yet ironically soothing flight of the butterflies made the female shinobi's eyes flutter open, rivaling the graceful movement of the butterflies' wings, thus drawing the male's mismatched eyes to her and removing his attention away from those magnificent winged creatures.

He simply smiled and went to the tree and sat down. He carefully placed her down as he leaned against the trunk, and allowed her to sit up and lean against his shoulder.

The tranquil silence they held for a few minutes made him close his eyes and think of the incident concerning the butterflies. No matter how beautiful they were as they flew up to glaze the cerulean sky, he couldn't just disregard what flying butterflies, especially in the clearing of a forest, meant.

He had read it from one of the classic books he read before he became obsessed with the icha icha paradise. And from what he recalls, the action of those butterflies was not helping him ease his worry on his student.

But as he felt those troubled stares piercing through his closed eyelids, he can't help but wake up and look at the source of those troubled orbs.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once again, she looked at him… her eyes laced with a form of surrender; her eyes had trimmings of death.

"Oy, is something the matter?", he started to ask her.

She looked at him more intensely, yet her eyes were filled with the same silencing blankness.

It was like she was under the spell of the mangekyou sharingan.

In a split second, under that captivating stare, he was again immersed in her sadness and her confusion. She was getting depressed again, about something that she does not know.

Instinctively, he bridged the gap between them and pulled her close…There was something in her that made him frightened. He was already accustomed to her often falling into deep depression (due to the fact that she was weak and can't do anything about Sasuke's disappearance), yet this instance was somewhat different. And so it frightened him.

For the past two weeks, she had been happy… greeting each morning with such fervor for living. She was filled with goals and dreams and wishes, and she was hell-bent on realizing them…

But today, now, all that life, that youth, and that sparkle, had disappeared from her.

He knew she was spent; she was already wasted because of the frequent missions given to her-- one after the other. But surely that was not the reason of her sudden fall into melancholy, right? It surely was not the cause of her emptiness, right?

In his act of desperation, he called out to her. Even though she was close to him, she felt so distant that he had to speak in a clear and audible manner for her to look back and respond to him…

"Oy… what's wrong with you?..." He asked worriedly

She did not respond… She closed her eyes and let her mind wander off… He started to panic, and he did not know why. Everything turned out to be really confusing and it was the first time he felt he did not know what to do. The life he is now cradling in his arms felt really fragile, it was on the verge of breaking and falling down six feet under.

She suddenly sensed the fear and the panic she was causing him, and mustered all her strength to create a mask, to conceal her nearing surrender; to prevent her sensei from protecting her, for the last time. Because she knew that this is one battle that's nearing its end.

"No, I'll be fine. I just need to rest. I feel so tired from all the hard missions I've been doing."

"Then you must tell the Hokage about this… You must not tire yourself…"

"Hush now, I'll be fine… Don't worry about me, I'll be fine… Ne? Just let me lean on you and rest. Give me five minutes…anata, then I'll be fine and we can go back home."

And so he gave her five minutes, cradling her gently in his arms and softly kissing her lips from time to time, pouring his heart out to her with each passionately delivered kiss. One hand gently stroked her hair and while his other arm was supporting her back and allowing him to hold her closer. He wanted to make her feel she was not alone, that at least he was there to take care of her, to give her all his time and attention.

But one minute was all that the game gave her.

He was the last one who saw her.

He was the only one she needed to see before leaving. But she completely forgot to take off something, something that prevented her from saying an honest goodbye, something that will forever conceal the reason of her immense sadness.

"You said you'll be fine, Sakura-chan…"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's been three weeks since Hatake Kakashi returned from that last mission. But what surprised most people was that since his return, he has refrained from wearing his mask, finally revealing his face to the public and satiating their long-held curiosity of how he really looked like.

But either they were displeased or overjoyed with his recent action, they had one question in mind:

"Why on earth did he suddenly remove his mask?"

---------------------owari

**March 28,2006 6:15pm**


	2. follow: KakaxSaku

**Follow**

_**akai kinoko**_

Rule number 25 or 33, she couldn't quite remember now, but what was imprinted in her mind was the rule itself, one of the most important rules of being a shinobi:

A shinobi must not explicitly show his emotions.

A rule Sakura had always violated almost every mission she had as a shinobi. She cried when she thought Sasuke had died from battling Haku and she cried for Naruto when she again thought he died from Kagero's attacks at the supposed headquarters of Orochimaru. In fact, she almost always cried and showed fear during their missions, which was considered a big no-no.

That was why she found it ironic that she had not shed one single tear for the most important man in her life, who now lay lifeless at her feet. She could not cry even though there was now time to cry, as there were no more enemies left that could attack her off-guard when she starts to weep--- for they had already been mercilessly killed by her, after what they had done to her lover.

She tried to define her emotions, rather, rationalize her lack of it. Had she successfully mastered obeying that one rule she kept on violating? But why did it have to be now? She felt uneasy as her inability to feel sad made her feel ungrateful and cold, emotions which she did not have. She felt more uneasy and even guilty as Naruto sat beside the corpse of his sensei, his blue orbs flooded with tears and all the shades of misery evident in his face.

"Why can't I cry like Naruto? Don't I love you?"

Sakura kept on wondering, surely this was not due to the missions they had as anbus. She recalled that she even shed a least a single tear for any life she had taken during the course of their missions. And when the missions were over, her lover would be at her side and would allow her to bury her face on his chest to cry her heart out. So it really puzzled her why she couldn't cry for the one who had consoled her all throughout her life. Why couldn't she feel sad for the sudden departure of the person who taught her everything she needs to know as a shinobi?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back home, she continued to stare at the jade stone where his name was recently carved. She had reported the loss to the Hokage, who in turn, had the name of the copy ninja immediately carved in the memorial stone. For three hours, Sakura had been staring blankly at the stone, silently hating herself for her persistent lack of emotions.

"Sakura-chan, you must go home and rest now. You were also tired from the mission, right?" a worried Naruto suddenly spoke from behind her

"Naruto? Why are you here? I thought you went home?"

"But I got worried about you… You are the one who's affected most by this incident. The people told me you were here for three hours already, and I-"

She sighed. "Naruto, I can't cry."

"Eh?"

"I can't feel anything. I am supposed to be sad and all, but I am not. And it pains me so much that I can't even properly mourn for the person who's of great importance to me."

"Sakura", Naruto went and gently squeezed his teammate's arm to comfort her. He knew exactly why she can't cry, how shock had struck her so hard it made her numb and in denial; and her lack of response to his touch confirmed his speculations.

"I guess I'll be leaving now. Please take care and don't feel too guilty. And I'm just at the Ichiraku Ramen stall, if you ever felt the need to talk to somebody.", Naruto was a few meters away from Sakura when he stumbled on a rock that sent him flying on a nearby bush, thus disturbing the insects peacefully nestling in it and sending a mass of butterflies out, fluttering all over the place.

Sakura turned around to look at the source of the noise when she was greeted by the swarm of butterflies. Naruto was nowhere to be found for he continued to head for the ramen stall. However, the magnificent sight she currently beheld overwhelmed her at first; the winged creatures seemed like fragments of a broken rainbow floating tenderly across the air, their colors betraying the blankness of her current state. The glided gracefully like a rolling silent movie, lifting her up and carrying her lightly to a flight of fancy (1), then bringing her forth to a sliver of her memory.

That memory being the last casual conversation she had with him. The last comment she heard from her lover. The last lesson she learned from the copy ninja.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_A thousand butterflies flew out in the open and towards the sky as Hatake Kakashi stepped on a grassy part of the forest. The sudden rush of the creatures startled Naruto but for Sakura, the moment was captivating and it made her truly amazed at the natural art revealed before her very eyes. However, she cannot disregard the immediate sadness evident in the exposed eye of her lover and team leader._

"_Kakashi, is something the matter? Did these pretty butterflies scare you?" She joked._

_Kakashi softly chuckled. "It's not that, my Sakura-hime, It's just that I remembered a sad connotation about a swarm of flying butterflies"_

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And she remembered. She understood that she saw it coming but she forgot. And as the butterflies floated around her again, tears finally escaped her eyes.

She cried as sweet memories of him flashed through her mind. She sobbed as she remembered every single thing he did for her, extreme sadness washed over her being as she realized she'll never see her masked wolf again, her wolf who promised to protect her, the cherry blossom princess.

She then decided that her mourning will be symbolized by her wearing a mask; she will honor his death by adapting his trademark mask,

as it dawned to her again what flying butterflies meant.

"Someone's gonna die next, my beloved ninja."

Then a gleam reflected from a kunai, followed by a slash, and the eternal concealment of the emerald orbs by the mask that is her eyelids.

The world went black.

---------------------------owari

(1) a line from the song by Loquy, "Butterflu"

**april 23, 2006 1:45am**


	3. closing time: SasuxSaku

**Butterfly Masquerade 3: **

_**CLOSING TIME**_

_(Sasuke feels Sakura no longer remembers)_

_**akai kinoko**_

Sasuke was searching for that all-familiar place of warmth and comfort, so he did not mind leaping over the countless wet rooftops under the rainy midnight sky of Konoha. In fact, he was willing to sacrifice and get wet just to feel the heat run through his veins once again.

His feet stopped at the rooftop of the house he once called his second home, where he learned all the basics in being a great genin. Slowly he lifts open a bedroom window and silently slips in.

And the beauty to behold captures his sight as he enters the room. He approaches her, she who slumbers peacefully and lets her soul wander into the vast lands of dreams.

He gently turns her head towards him and kisses her on her lips as he tries to remember the fateful night that defined their relationship status.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_Please, don't go." Sakura's begged, "Or if you really have to, then take me with you!"_

"_No, I have decided. And from this moment on, you are not to follow me" Sasuke's voice was firm enough to conceal the sadness growing inside him._

"_Sasuke, is there anyway I can make you stay? I promise to be with you always. I will give my heart to you!"_

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That last sentence made his heart stop. In that point in time, he wanted to turn around and look back. He wanted to give in to her proposed warmth and hold her. He had felt safe under her attention and he realized how painful it was to leave that comfort and journey to the unfamiliar and cold land that promised, albeit without certainty, the power he longed for.

At that moment, he felt torn between his dream and his love.

But because he had decided to leave, he wanted to give Sakura his response before leaving. He wanted to look back one last time and kiss her and make her feel that he loves her and after his mission of revenge he will return and be with her forever.

He wanted to shower her with reassurance and promises but…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_Thank you"_

_Sasuke quickly appeared in front of Sakura and punched her on her stomach._

_And he was gone._

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And so now he pays the price of being a coward; like a curse bestowed by the evil witch that is the lost love, Sasuke keeps on coming back every night to find warmth in the responsive and supple lips of his cherry blossom princess. He steals a kiss every night to remind him of hope and reasons to live, because in the place where he lives now, those are non-existent but are extremely needed to survive.

He kisses her softly, careful not to wake her up so as she can remain in that place between sleeping and dreaming—in that place where he can believe that she is still waiting, in that place where he can continue on loving her without hurting.

Because in reality, somebody owns her now and she has forgone the fact that he can come back to her.

Sasuke ends his kiss as Kakashi's sleeping form unmindfully wraps his arms around Sakura. The female relaxes on his touch and Sasuke prepares to leave.

He looks at his beloved for the last time tonight, and admires her features which were chiseled cautiously by time, creating a goddess of warmth and life. Unknowingly, his eyes became watery and little droplets fell gently on the cheeks of his princess.

Then he finally opens the window and leaps out into the night, its hopeless and melancholic tentacles embrace him tight and bring him back to the place of the unloving and the lifeless.

With the warmth he carries in his lips and treasures in his heart, he is again equipped for another day of sacrificing himself to the snake devil that is Orochimaru.

The rain has stopped for a long time now, but Sasuke wonders why raindrops still fall every time he leaps across rooftops.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"He might have grown more numb, but his eyes know what he truly feels inside", Sakura whispers as she stands by and looks out the window sill. She can't help but feel sad as she runs a finger on her wet cheek.

She had been awake the whole time.

--------------------------------------owari

**June 22, 2006 **

**8:47 pm**


End file.
